TYPES OF WORSHIP

 

1.    For some time I have wanted to deal with what might be called “performance worship.”

2.    If things go as planned, this topic will be addressed next Sunday.

3.    Today I want to lay a foundation for performance worship.

4.    It is my intention to show that the Bible describes several types of worship.

 

THERE MAY BE MORE, BUT AS I LOOK AT THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES I FIND THAT GOD DESCRIBES FIVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF WORSHIP.

 

a)      I will quickly list these five ways and then return to them one by one:

b)      Vain worship, ignorant worship, will worship, worship with human hands, and prescribed worship.

 

2)      Vain worship is a type of service to God that Jesus condemned.

3)      We find references to this worship more than once in the gospels.

4)      For instance, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus spoke of “vain prayers” (repetitions, Mt. 6:7).

5)      These prayers could be at worship or outside of worship.

6)      In ancient times pagans thought their gods would hear them if they prayed long enough.

7)      Vain prayers consist of thoughtless, wandering prayer that mainly stresses longevity.

8)      Someone who hears this kind of prayer may be impressed, such is not true with God.

9)      Another verse dealing with vain worship was read moments:  Mt. 15:8-9.

10)  Jesus was aware of religious people offering worship and He said it was VAIN.

a)      The word rendered vain occurs only in Mt. 15;9 and Mk. 7:1; it is an adverb.

b)      Definitions for it include “in vain,” “groundlessly,” “pointlessly,” “deceitfully.”

 

11)  It is possible to offer worship to the true God, but have the worship considered pointless.

12)  This is the message that Jesus sounded forth when He came to live among men.

13)  In the clearest possible terms Jesus said heaven does not accept all worship.

a)      Because of the Lord said we might ask why some worship is rejected.

b)      Why would deity turn away worship if it is sincere and offered to the true God?

c)      Jesus gave the answer in the verses already read.

d)      In fact, He gave two answers to these questions in Mt. 15:8-9.

e)      Verse 8 describes a heart problem; the innermost parts of men were far away from God.

f)        People went through the motions, but the worship was nothing but a mindless routine.

g)      The 8^th verse tells us worship must come from the heart; it must be sincere and genuine.

h)      A second reason for rejecting worship is found in verse 9.

i)        Jesus said there are “doctrines of men.” 

j)        2,000 years have passed, but today we today we still have the doctrines of men.

k)      Most everyone here has heard someone say, “My church believes/teaches…our custom is, etc.

l)        At the present time there are many religious ideas and practices not found in the Bible.

m)    When people are involved with human traditions and ideas, Jesus said this impacts worship.

n)      Being involved with ideas other than what is found in the Word of God voids one’s worship.

 

14)  Mt. 15:8-9 tells us that acceptable worship must be based upon a doctrinally right and heartfelt faith.

15)  Having a good heart is not enough.  Having the truth is also not enough.  We need both.

 

IF WE BELIEVE WHAT JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 15:8-9, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OFFERING WORSHIP WHICH GOD REJECTS.  GOD REFUSES IT BECAUSE THE WORSHIP LACKS EITHER THE ELEMENT OF TRUTH OR THE ELEMENT OF GENUINENESS.

 

a)      This is a serious problem, but this is not the extent of the difficulty.

b)      Heaven knows about another type of worship, a type of service that is ignorant.

 

2)      Last Wednesday night the invitation speaker drew from the Acts 17.

3)      This chapter tells how Paul tried to do some evangelism in Athens.

4)      This area was full of idol worshippers—people who didn’t know the true God.

5)      When Paul began to preach to these people he spoke about a strange God (verse 18).

6)      Luke also tells us that while Paul was in this area the apostle saw some of the local sights.

7)      Part of what Paul saw is described in verse 23 – READ.

a)      The residents of this area had created an altar to the “unknown God.”

b)      Paul used this monument to describe the true God as well as make a point about worship.

 

8)      There were first century people who “worshipped” this God, but they did so in “ignorance.”

9)      If we listen to the current philosophies about worship, we would conclude that worship is subjective.

a)      We can do it our way, the people down the street another way…everyone can do it as they like.

b)      A spokesman for God said this kind of philosophy is not acceptable to God.

c)      It was not enough for first century people to acknowledge the true God with an altar.

d)      It was not sufficient for these people to worship the true God.

e)      If these people wanted to serve the true God they had to do it in a certain way.

 

10)  Paul taught the same truth Jesus did in Mt. 15; right worship involves 2 separate items:

11)  First, there must be a sincere and genuine heart. 

12)  Perhaps the people of Athens were a-okay on this point.

13)  Since they were “very religious” (22b), we may infer that they were zealous and earnest.

14)  Earnestness, however, is not enough; there must also be truth.

15)  Because these people were ignorant about true worship, Paul said this in 23b:  - READ.

16)  What was the apostle saying?  His message was identical to that spoken by Jesus in Mt. 15:8-9.

 

17)  We will be coming back to Acts 17, but right now we are taking a little detour to Col. 2.

a)      In the second chapter of this book (which was written by Paul), we again read about worship.

b)      There were people at Colossae who were very religious.

c)      Some of their religion involved angel worship (verse 18).

 

18)  If Paul had believed in the religious ideas common today he would have said, “that’s fine.”

19)  “Worship Christ, but you can also worship angels because you can do what you want to do.”

20)  This was not the message given to these Christians.

21)  At the first part of verse 18 an apostle said, “let no man rob you of your prize.”

22)  When Paul found out about false worship at this congregation, he sat down a wrote a letter.

23)  He associated erroneous worship with the loss of a prize (eternal live—salvation).

24)  Worship was an item Paul considered to be important.  Jesus viewed worship in this same way.

25)  The Holy Spirit helped Paul like Paul instruct people on what it means to honor and serve God.

a)      At the end of Col. 2 we come to the verse that needs to be read – READ verse 23.

b)      This is the only time in the New Testament we read about will worship.

c)      This term occurs only in the pages of God’s word, and it is a very special term.

 

26)  Various sources define this term, and the original word is very, very interesting.

27)  Will worship is the kind of worship that someone devises on their own.

a)      That is, will worship says man determines how he will or how he wants to worship.

b)      This is precisely what Jesus described in Mt. 15—the “doctrines of men.”

c)      Back in Mt. 15:8-9 Jesus said this form of worship is VAIN.

d)      When the Colossians were exposed to it, Paul fired off a warning and said, “WATCH OUT.”

e)      There are people who want to rob you of your prize, and you need to pay attention to worship.

 

28)  Another definition for will worship is doctrine contrary to the nature of the faith given by God.

29)  That is, God has told His people how to worship.  This information is in the Bible.

30)  When we do not follow God’s instructions we offer worship which is will worship.

31)  Back in Mt. 6 heaven warned about a certain type of praying.

32)  Why can’t people pray with vain repetitions if they prefer that type of communication?

33)  The answer is that it violates divine instruction.

 

34)  Another definition for will worship is found in these two words:  forbidden and unbidden.

35)  If we do what God has forbidden, it is will worship.

36)  When someone does what has not been bidden (instructed), it is will worship.

a)      If God has told us not to do something in worship, we need to obey that instruction.

b)      Most would agree to this, but object to the second word (unbidden).

 

37)  Many times someone has said to me, “Where does the Bible say we cannot do that?”

38)  Let’s put this question in a more specific format.

39)  “Where does the Bible forbid us praying to Peter or Paul for salvation?

40)  “Where does the Bible explicitly tell us to avoid saying, “Lord God the pope?”

41)  “Where is the verse that says we cannot replace the Lord’s Supper with an animal sacrifice?”

 

42)  If we want a verse for questions such as these we can start with Col. 2:23.

43)  We need to have Bible authority for what we believe, what we say, and what we do.

44)  When someone offers unbidden worship (do what God has not asked), Paul says it is false worship.

45)  In both testaments there are prohibitions against adding to and taking away from God’s word.

46)  This same principle applies to worship; if we go beyond we have added to heaven’s instruction.

47)  People in the past thought they could do this and not suffer any consequences.

48)  One example of this being done is found in Lev. 10:1-2; Nadab and Abihu.

49)  These priests engaged in an unbidden act and they died.

 

WE HAVE LOOKED AT THREE TYPES OF WORSHIP, AND EACH HAS THE DIVINE STAMP OF DISAPPROVAL.

 

a)      We are now ready for the final two, and the fourth goes back to Acts 17.

b)      Verse 23 was previously read from this chapter; I now want to read verses 24-25.

c)      READ verses 24-25.

d)      God is not served (we might say worshipped) by men’s hands.

 

2)      Paul did not elaborate on what this means.

3)      We can, however, make a couple of observations in light of other scriptures.

4)      First, God needs nothing from mankind; heaven does not need our worship.

5)      God was fine before man came along and would be fine without us now.

6)      This truth is contrary to a denominational practice of “giving God a hand.”

7)      I have heard preachers ask for a round of applause to honor God.

8)      Worshippers are told to clap for 10-20 seconds and give heaven our admiration.

9)      Others have said they use their hands to honor God on a piano/guitar, something else.

a)      God doesn’t need our clapping.

b)      God is not served by using our hands on man made instruments.

c)      God has specifically instructed us in New Testament times to “sing”, Col. 3:16/Eph. 5:19.

d)      If we add to this something which is unbidden, we are offering will worship (Col. 2:23).

 

10)  If we are going to serve and honor God—if we are going to worship—it must be as He has said.

11)  Heaven’s way is stated in Jn. 4:24; Jesus said – QUOTE.

12)  Jesus said God is Spirit, and those who honor Him MUST do it in a certain way.

13)  Jesus used that word must because of all the points we have studied this morning.

14)  Heaven is not going to accept ignorant worship so we MUST worship in truth.

15)  Will worship will be refused so we MUST worship in truth (by the Bible).

16)  .  Truth without feeling is going to be turned down so worship MUST be in spirit.

17)  Jesus said it is absolutely imperative that we worship in “spirit” and “truth.”  No exceptions.

18)  This is so simple, so powerful, and so necessary.

19)  Other kinds of worship have been tried in the past but they have all failed.

20)  God has a set plan and we must follow it.

21)  Do we know what this plan is, and are we complying with it?